Adjustable tray for child&#39;s chair



July 3, 1928. 1,675,985

H. w. MARTIN ADJUSTABLE TRAY FOR CHILDS CHAIR Filed Aug. lO, 1927 UUUDUEIDDUUUDUDDUUD IJ Unnnnnn P'Aateiiiteil July 3, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD w. MARTIN, or SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA,

ADJUSTABLE TRAY FOR OHILDS CHAIR.

Application filed Aug-ust 10, 1927. Serial No. 211,936.

My invention is an adjustable tray for a childs chair.

An object of m invention is the construction of a tray which may be adapted to a childs chair such as a high chair and adj usted in various positions to hold the child securely in the chair and also be loosened and hang -downwardly at the side of the chair.

Another object of my invention is the construction of a childs chair with metal guideways on the arm rests, these .guideways supporting and guiding the sliding motion off a tray in a horizontal direction, together with a latching device for latching the tray 1n any desired position inthe guideways. One of the guid'eways extends aroundthe end of the arm and on the outside, and is provided with means for allowing the tray to hang downwardly.

.In constructing my childs chair with the 'adjustable tray, I provide a pair of metal guideways having a longitudinal depression in :which the edges of the trayl may slide. The guideways facing each other on the arms of the chair are rovided with a plurality of perforations in which the latches or slidin bolts carried by the tray may'engage auf? hold the tray adjusted in various positions. .One of the guideways isjlirovided with a longitudinal slot in whic a screw or bolt or the like having a. head may slide, the head being on the inside of the4 slot and traveling in a groove cut in the Wood-work of the arm rest.

The guideway on one of the arms is bent around the end of the arm and extends towards the back of the chair on the outside, and has a continuation of the slot in which the bolt operates, this slot being turned downwardly to the under side "of 'the arm rest so thati the tray may hang downwardly from such arin rest. AThere is also akey hole type of slot at the end so that the bolt, and hence the tray, may be entirely removed if desired.

My invention in its various aspects will be more readily understood from the following description and drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a chair with my tray installed thereon.

Figure 2 is an underneath View of the tray and of the arm rests taken in the direction of the arrow 2 of Fig. l.

rest.

Figure 6 is a horizontal longitudinal section Aon the line 6-6 of Fig. 5 in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is a vertical transverse section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5 in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a transverse section of the left arin rest similar to Fig. 3 with the tray hanging downwardly.

The guideways on the inside of the arm rests 11 comprise a metal guideway 12 which has a vertical web 13 and horizontal flanges 14. The guideway is fitted in a recessed section 15 of the arni rest and is provided with a plurality of perforations 16, for a purpose set forth hereunder, and with a longitudinal slot 17. Inside this slot the wood is cut away, forming a longitudinal groove 18.

The guideway on the right arm rest is illustrated as terminating at the outer end or nose 19 of such arm rest, whereas on the left arm rest the metal strip forming the guideway is bent around the end, as illustrated at 20, and continued on the outside of the arin rest, as indicated at 21. The shape, however, is different from the guideways on the inside. In this case there is a metal strip or band 22 which encircles the end and passes part way along the outside of the arm rest. This has a longitudinal slot 23 which joins into the slot 17 on the inside guideway, the slot following the curvature of the nose of the aiin rest and also along the outside. The nretal is then bent under the arm rest as indicated -at 24 and the slot is also turned downwardly, as indicated at 25.

There is a connecting slot 26 connecting with the vertical slot 25 and extending underneath the arm rest followed by a slot 27 a short length, running lengthwise of the ariii rest and terminating in a round key hole opening 28.

The wood of the left arm rest has la cutv 'out groove29 following around the end or nose of the arm rest and on the outside underneath the metal strip 22, these metal structures forming the guideways. The strip may be secured to the arm rest in any suitable manner, and it is preferable to make the metal structure on the left arm rest integral.

The tray 30 is indicated as having an in ner concave curved edge 31 and an outer convex curved edge 32, with a pair of depending ilanges 33 on the sides, as well as with depending lugs 34 in about the center of the tray.

Latch bolts 35 are slidably mounted in the flanges 33 and the lugs 34, each of these having a linger grip 36 on the inner end. Also cach of the latch bolts is provided with an adjustable collar 37 and with a coiled compression sprinur 38 tensioned between the lug 36 and the col ar 37, thus the spring normally tends to thrust the, latch bolts outwardly. One of the flanges is provided with a suspending bolt or screw 39 having ahead 40, the head fitting in the grooves 18 and 29 in the left arm rest` The manner of using and functioning of my childs chair with the tray is substantially as follows:

After the child is sented in the chair, and presuming the tray is hanging` as shown in Fig. 8 suspended by the bolt in the short slot 26 or 27, the tray may then be shifted, the bolt following in the angular slots and making the various turns, also following around the slot 23 which mer es into the slot 17. In this motion the hea of the bolt follows the roove 29 and then the groove 28 in the woo ofthe arm rest. The flanges 33 of the tray are then guided inthe metal guideways of both of the arm rests, and when the concave edge 31 of the tray is pressed close to the child, the finger grips 34 are operated so that the ends of the bolt latches 35 fit in opposite apertures 16 of the guideways; the tra may thus be adjusted so close to the chi d that it is impossible for the child to slip downwardly between the tray and the seat of the chair or to climb upwardly at the back of the chair.

When it is desired to release the child, the nger gri s 36 are drawn together compressing t e spring 38 and thus releasing the bolts from the apertures; the tray may then be swung outwardly, and by being turned around, the bolt 39 following in the slots and grooves above mentioned, in the reverse manner, the tray is then positioned so that it may hang vertically as shown in Fig. 8. If it is desired to remove the tray entirely from the chair, the bolt head may be passed through the key hole circular end of the slot 38.

From the above description it will be seen guideways that' the type of hardware used may be adapted for different forms of trays or other arrangements'for securing children in chairs, or the like. It is also a parent that the mechanism may be reversed so that the tray may han from the right arm rest instead of the leigt.

Various changes may be made in the principles of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof, as set forth in the description, drawings and claims.

I claim:

1. In the art described, a chair having arm rests with guideways secured thereto, a tray slidable in said guideways, one of said guideways having a longitudinal slot, a latching means connected with the tray and interacting with t-he guideways to adjustably latch the tray, and a holding device secured to the tray and extending through the said slot, the said holding device permitting the disengagement of the tray from the giudeways and being adapted to retain the t-ray connected to one of the arm rests.

2. In the art described, the combination of a chair having arm rests with guideways therein, 1 strip or track connected to one of the guideways, said latter guideway and strip or track having a slot, a tray fitted in the uide ways having a latching means adjusta ly securing the tray, and a retaining device secured to the tray and engaging in said slot, permitting the disengagement from the tray with the guideways but retaining the tray secured to one of the arm rests.

3. In the art described, as claimed in claim 2, the latching means comprising a series of perforations in the guideways, a plurality of latching bolts slidably mounted on the tray, and means to engage or disengage the latching bolts in the perforations.

4. In the art described, the combination of a chair having arm rests with a plurality of guidewa s secured thereto, one of the aving a strip or track connected thereto, the said latter guideway and the strip or track having a connecting slot, the track being on the outside of the arm rest and turning the outside end of such rest, a tray having opposite edges fitted in the guideways, a bolt having a head on one side of the tray and fitting in the said-slot the said bolt permittin disengagement of the tray from the gui eways and shifting the tray from between the arm rests to the outside of one of the arm rests.

5. In the art described, as claimed in claim 4, the slot having means to turn the tray from a horizontal to a vertical position depending on the outside of the arm rest.

6. In the art described, as claimed in claim 4, the slot in the track on the outside of the arm rest being down-turned and extending underneath the arm rest, said slot forming a engage the bolts from the Said guide in the movement the bolt may hold the neath the arm rest.

7. In the art described, as claimed in claim 4, the slot in the track on the outside of the arm rest bei-ng down-turned and extending underneath the arm rest, said slot forming a guide in the movement of the bolt, whereby the bolt may hold the tray suspended beneath the arm rest, the slot underneath the arm rest terminating in a circular or key hole opening and allowing the bolt head to pass therethrough 'for disengagement of the tray from the arm rest.

8. In the art described, a chair having a pair of arm rests, each having a guideway with perforations therein and one having a longitudinal slot, a strip or track connected to the guideway having a slot, said track being on the outside of the arm rest, the slofcontinuing around the end of the arm rest and longitudinally of the track, a tray having a plurality of latching bolts slidably mounted thereon, means to engage and disperforations, a bolt havin a head connected to one side of the tray and engaging in the said slot, the the bolt allowing disengagement of the tray from the guideways and retaining the tray of the bolt, whereby tray suspended beattached to the track on the outside of the arm rest.

9. In lthe art described, as claimed in claim 8, the guideways having a web adapted to fit in a recess in the arm rests and having upper and lower horizontal flanges, the lower flanges supporting the tray.

l0. In the art described, as claimed in claim 8, the guideways being formed of metal and fitted in recesses in the arm rests, and the strip or track being substantially flush with the outside surface of one of the arm rests, said strip or track having a terminating end fitted underneath the arm rest, the slot extending underneath and allowing suspending of the tray vertically underneath the arm rest.

11. In a chair having arms, a groove extending longitudinally of the arms in the inner face thereof and open at its forward end, of a tray detachably slidably mounted in said grooves and lying between said arms, and means carried by the tray and operable in the groove to lock it in an adjusted position within said grooves.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HAROLD w. MARTIN. 

